


Merciless

by I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins



Series: Ad Astra Per Aspera [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 13:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6053292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins/pseuds/I_Write_Tragedies_Not_Sins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 2176, Kai Leng murders a Krogan, just a few months after becoming an N7 operative. But why? Was there a reason behind his actions or was it simply a cold blooded murder?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merciless

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt: Helena Blake makes disingenuous accusations about Kai Leng. Challenge 1 thousand words or less. I went a little over that, but not much.

Kai Leng leans against the bar, his fingers sliding against the cool glass holding his drink. He looks down at the green liquid, swirling it around a moment before slamming it back. It's cold as it runs down his throat, and burns his stomach just the way he likes. He glances at his new N7 stripes, a small grin curving his lips upward.  _Finally. After faking his age, and all that damn hard work, he finally made it._

He glances over at the bartender, nodding his head for another drink. He takes out the note he had received, glancing at the crudely written words.  _"Meet me at the The Darkest Way. I have information you want to hear."_ Kai scoffs, shoving the note back in his pocket. He drums his fingers on the bar, waiting is not his strength.

"Kai Leng?" A voice says behind him.

He turns, and sees a human woman with cold dark eyes looking at him. Her dark brown hair is cropped close to her head, and her eyes have no warmth or gentleness to them. He gives her smirk before responding. "Yes?" he replies, one eyebrow raised.

She doesn't smile or frown, just continues to stare at him, expression blank. "We know you lied," she replies. "You faked your paperwork."

Kai scowls, getting to his feet. He steps forward, glaring down at her. "Yeah? You, and who else?" he asks, his voice a low growl. He had worked too hard and too long for this to be ruined now.

Finally, she smiles, a slow, cruel grin. "My boss is someone you don't need to know about," she answers, voice calm and even. "If you have the credits, then you have our silence."

He grinds his teeth, resisting the urge to throttle the smug bitch. "How much?"

She hands him a datapad and his eyes widen at the sum. "Are you fucking joking? I don't have this kind of credit," he growls.

"Then you'll have to find a way, won't you?" She shrugs her shoulders, taking the datapad back. "I'll be in touch, Kai Leng."

He watches her walk away, fists clenching into tight balls until his knuckles turn white. He grabs his drink, slams it down quickly and leaves. If that bitch thinks he's just going to roll over and take it like a dog, she's wrong. No, nobody blackmails Kai Leng and gets away with it.

  
~*~*~

 

Jack watches Kai pace in an angry line in front of him. The two had been friends for years, and he was the only one who knew the secret of Kai's age. Or so they had thought. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor, you keep that up," Jack says wryly. 

Kai growls and slams his fist into the wall. "Hey, hey! No need to put holes in my wall, either," Jack says, frowning. "Here, have a seat and a drink. Maybe that will cool your hot head."

"I won't let them take this from me," Kai answers. But he sits where Jack is motioning too, taking the bottle of rum. He takes a long pull from it, wiping his lips with the back of his hand when he's done. "Fucking bitch," he mutters.

Jack nods slowly. "I'll see what I can find out, okay buddy? Just, try not to put anymore holes in my house."

Kai chuckles, nodding as well. "Right. No more holes. Got it."

 

~*~*~

 

Jack sits alone in a dark room, waiting. Nervous tension hums through his body. A Quarian enters the room, her dark red suit looking menacing in the darkness. "You have the information I was looking for?" he asks, licking his lips nervously.

She doesn't answer, just walks toward him, hips swaying. "You have my payment?"

He nods, setting the datapad with the high class ship schematics on the table. "Don't know why in the hell you need that, but there it is."

"Perfect. This will be a good find from my pilgrimage," she mutters, the words sounding odd to him. "Here is the information you were seeking." She lays another datapad on the table and turns to leave.

He lets her go, unconcerned about the Quarian. He makes a mental note not to mention his source to Kai, the boy had never been too fond of aliens.

His eyes widen as he reads the words on the page. Grabbing his jacket, he swiftly gets up from his chair. He needs to find Kai.  _Now.  
_

  
  
~*~*~

 

Kai growls low in his throat as he reads the words. "A Krogan? How?"

Jack shifts, running his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair. "How the hell should I know? All information can be bought, Kai. The Shadow Broker has ears everywhere."

"So, you think this Krogan got the information from the Shadow Broker?" Kai asks, looking at his old friend.

He just shrugs. "I don't know, honestly. Could've came from anywhere. Doesn't matter, does it? You know who that girl's boss is. Let's go pay him a friendly visit."

Kai grins, ready for blood. "Yes. Let's," he agrees, grabbing his weapons.

 

~*~*~

 

Kai watches as the Krogan charges Jack and his friend goes flying through the air. He lands against the table, and Kai hears a sickening crack. Jack doesn't get up, doesn't move. Kai Leng roars in anger as he charges the Krogan, ripping his knife across the beast's throat. He doesn't stay and watch the Krogan bleed out. He goes to Jack, lying on the ground, blood trickling out of his mouth.

"You're going to be fine," he mutters. "You'll be fine."

Jack sputters a bit, lips trying to turn up into a smile. "No, I won't," he says plainly, the words coming out shaky as he struggles for breath. "Be strong, Kai. I'll see you on... the other.. side," he whispers, eyes closing.

Kai Leng howls his grief as he holds his best friend to his chest. His heart is pounding out of control and he wishes the Krogan was still alive so he could kill it again. 

"He killed my husband! He murder both of them, please, help!" Kai turns his head as the woman screams, her cold dark eyes looking at the group of Alliance soldiers that have entered the building.

He's numb as they grab him roughly by the arms. They ignore him when he tells them the girl is lying. It's useless, he can tell. She's crying, clinging to one of the soldier's, body shaking with fake grief. He stops protesting and lets them take him. What's the use fighting them all, anyway? It suddenly seems so pointless, the whole thing. He watches with blank eyes as they cover Jack's body. Fuckin' Krogans. Fuckin' goddamn aliens.

He makes eye contact with the woman. He wonders, briefly, what her name is, why she has chosen to team up with an alien. He grins at her, a slow, cruel grin that matches the one she had given him when they first meet. He doesn't say a word, just laughs as the soldier's drag him outside. He can hear them muttering something about him being crazy, but he doesn't care. One day, he'll escape whatever prison they put him in. Then he'll come for her. And he'll end her life just like they ended Jack's.


End file.
